I love reading books, talking about books and sharing children's and young adult books with anyone who is willing to listen and chat. I have been a kindergarten teacher, a primary teacher, a teacher-librarian, a book reviewer and a workshop presenter for more than 30 years and have an endless, abiding passion for getting great books into the hands of children, young adults, teachers and parents. I hope you find something here that you will love; and then you can pass it on to someone you love!

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Friday, December 27, 2013

A Moose That Says MOOOOOOOOOOOO, written by Jennifer Hamburg and illustrated by Sue Truesdell. Farrar Straus Giroux, Macmillan. Raincoast, 2013. $ 18.99 ages 3 and up

"And how would the animals
celebrate night?
With pj's and milk and a zoo
pillow fight!
Feathers would flit!
Feathers would float!
Feathers would wake up
a sound-asleep goat!
The goat would get mad
and throw handfuls of dough..."

For this animal-loving, book-reading little girl, there is nothing so satisfying as imagining her own personal menagerie of zoo animals with very special and specific talents. Have you heard about the shark that is a bibliophile? Or the ox that loves working in the kitchen so much he takes a job as a short-order cook? How about skunks that jump rope? No??? Why, you need to read this book!

This rhyming text is great fun for all, and sparks the imagination of those who read it! There is so much to contemplate as the words are read and reread. It is sure to inspire young readers to try some of their own rhymes with familiar animals who can do extraordinary things:

"Otters would oink!
Chipmunks would chirp!
Rabbits would ribbet and hiccup and burp!

The turtle would trip and land in a pie,
while trying to calm a hysterical fly."

There is surprise with every turn of the page. Sue Truesdell interprets the wild antics in images that are constantly moving, filled with expression and sure to inspire giggles and guffaws. She helps young readers to see all the possibilities for the imagined denizens of this very wild and wacky zoo using watercolors with black ink outlines. The silly signs, a cluttered background and charming animals are just what the doctor might order when considering an entirely unique environment for the imagination.

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About Me

I am a retired teacher and teacher-librarian whose interest in children's literature became an obsession when my kids were young and I was able to spend a year at home with them, learning about the unprecedented growth in the number of books being published with children in mind. I had always been a reader, thanks to the example my parents set for my brother and I, and I wanted to pass on my love of reading to them. But, I wanted to share the best books I could find...and so my search began. I am still searching every day, despite the fact that they are grown and gone.